


Know Your Name

by AlexSeanchai (EllieMurasaki)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Romantic Fluff, Season/Series 03 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieMurasaki/pseuds/AlexSeanchai
Summary: Lady, can I get you closer?Lady, would you come on over?I think I'm ready this timeMarinette rolled her eyes. "Don't mind this, Adrien," she told him. "Lila thinks she and I are fighting over you, like you're the last croissant of the day or something.""Hmph," said Lila. "Everyone knows you doodleMarinette Agresteon all your notes."Reddening, Marinette told Adrien, "She doesn't know when to quit, either."Adrien glanced between the two girls. Judging by Lila's narrowing eyes and clenched fists—and Lila certainly did get herself akumatized a lot—Ah, hell. Ladybug was going to kill him for this later. "Tell you what, Lila," he improvised. "If you can tell me the name of the girlIwant to ask on a date, I'll takeyouout to dinner."Lila's jaw hit the floor.Adrien turned to Marinette. "Same rules for you," he said. "I mean. If you want to play."





	Know Your Name

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Socchan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Socchan/gifts).



> Hippo birdy two ewes, Socchan! Bee-latedly. :D (The prompt that took was, of course, Mary Lambert's "[Know Your Name](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsc01-0V_QU)".)

Adrien was heading for the restroom when he heard his name: Lila's voice was soft enough Adrien wasn't sure he would have heard it if he weren't sometimes Chat Noir.

"Don't be ridiculous," Marinette snapped back, no louder. "He's his own person."

…This was going to be…amusing…

Adrien changed direction, strolling past where—ah-ha. Lila had Marinette cornered outside the library. "Hey, Marinette," he said, smiling his patented model smile. "Did I hear my name?"

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Don't mind this, Adrien," she told him. "Lila thinks she and I are fighting over you, like you're the last croissant of the day or something."

"Hmph," said Lila. "Everyone knows you doodle _Marinette Agreste_ on all your notes."

Reddening, Marinette told Adrien, "She doesn't know when to quit, either."

Adrien glanced between the two girls. Judging by Lila's narrowing eyes and clenched fists—and Lila certainly did get herself akumatized a lot—

Ah, hell. Ladybug was going to kill him for this later. "Tell you what, Lila," he improvised. "If you can tell me the name of the girl _I_ want to ask on a date, I'll take _you_ out to dinner."

Lila's jaw hit the floor.

Adrien turned to Marinette. "Same rules for you," he said. "I mean. If you want to play."

Marinette glared at him.

"Oh, that's easy," said Lila, having recovered. "Her name's Lila Rossi."

Adrien snorted. "Here's your first hint," he told them. "Her hair is black."

Lila stared, tossed her very-much- _not_ -black hair, and stalked off.

Adrien banged his head once against the wall, and leaned on it and heaved a sigh. "Oh good, that worked," he told the wall.

"Adrien?" asked Marinette.

He turned his head to bring her in view. "Think Ladybug's noticed Lila seems to _like_ being akumatized?" he asked.

Marinette paled. "Oh. So you were trying to—"

"—defuse the situation," Adrien finished, almost in unison with her. "Ladybug is going to strangle me next time she sees me, though," he continued, and banged his head against the wall again. "Guess I should warn her to stay clear of Lila."

"Oh," said Marinette, very pink. "So you—you picked someone whose name _no one_ knows for Lila to try to chase down. And Paris has a _lot_ of girls with black hair."

"Exactly," Adrien said. And remembered why he was in the hallways in the first place. "See you later?"

"Y-yeah. Sure."

* * *

Chat Noir dashed along Paris's rooftops. There was _nothing_ to compare with the freedom of the wind in his face, excepting only if his lady were running at his side—

—Speaking of! "LB!" he exclaimed in delight. "A vision as always!"

"Hey, Chat," she said cheerfully. "Are you out for anything in particular, or—?"

Chat vaulted the gap between two buildings, Ladybug half a pace behind. "I got sick of the same four walls."

"Oh good. If I have to fight tonight I'm gonna be seriously upset."

"So you're on a pleasure stroll yourself?"

Ladybug giggled. "Something like that."

"Oh!" Chat skidded to a stop on a darkened balcony. "Remember Lila Rossi?"

Ladybug bounced off a chimney and landed in front of Chat. "She's…hard to forget." She pulled a thoroughly displeased face.

"Yeah, she, uh. You should be extra careful about your identity around her."

Ladybug blinked at him. "What?"

"Have you noticed she seems to _like_ being akumatized?" He shrugged. "She was getting upset—and I know you're going to strangle me and I totally deserve it but in my defense we didn't have to take her down again today—anyway, she was getting upset and I couldn't think of any other way to defuse her except to send her on a wild ladybug chase." He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. "All I told her was I want to ask you out and you have black hair, so she doesn't even know it's _your_ name she's looking for? But. So. Yeah."

Belatedly, Chat noticed how wide Ladybug's eyes were. Her slack jaw. The tremble in her hands.

"—My lady?"

Ladybug firmed her stance and threw a punch. On instinct, Chat ducked.

"I'm _sorry_ , Ladybug!" He dodged her yo-yo. "Just be very careful—" Vaulted her kick. "—not to let on to anyone—" Sidestepped the yo-yo again. "—who you are under the mask—"

She swept his ankles out from under him and landed, her knees on his hips, her hands on his shoulders. Leaned down almost close enough to kiss.

"You," she whispered, "are a fine one to talk, kitty."

Chat blinked up at her. "What?"

Ladybug smirked. "I know your name."

* * *

Adrien got out of the car before school the next morning with a racing heart. He and Plagg had gone over the previous day in detail: Plagg hadn't been able to _confirm_ —or to deny—Ladybug's identity, of course, but _had_ been willing (when sufficiently bribed) to help Adrien plan.

"Hey, Adrien," said Marinette, startling him badly enough he tripped and faceplanted onto the steps. "Oh my god, Adrien, I'm so sorry—"

"Hey, Marinette," Adrien said, picking himself up. He looked sadly down at the bouquet of marigolds he'd had Gorilla stop long enough to let him buy; between his own weight and the rain-dampened stone, it was now rather worse for wear. "Don't worry about it, I shouldn't have been distracted that badly in the first place."

"Oh, Adrien!" called Lila, and Adrien plastered on the model smile, turning to her. "I know the name you're looking for!"

Adrien stiffened.

"Juleka Couffaine!"

Adrien snorted. "Don't be ridiculous," he told her. "She's perfectly happy with Rose."

"And you, Marinette?" asked Lila with a vicious twist to her smile. "Do _you_ have any leads?"

Marinette held up both hands, palms forward and empty. "Who Adrien wants to date is none of my business. Unless it's me, and if it's me then he knows where to find me when he wants to ask me."

Lila smiled a little wider. "Why then I've practically _won_."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "There is no glory in winning at solitaire, Lila." She started to head up the steps, then stopped. "Adrien?"

"Yeah?"

"What's with the marigolds?"

Adrien winced. "Well, I _was_ going to get Mme. Bustier to put them in a vase on her desk." This wasn't even untrue. It wasn't the _point_ —Ladybug had mentioned a few weeks back that she was developing an embarrassing taste for flowers; odd, because actual ladybugs actually ate aphids, not what aphids ate—but it wasn't _untrue_. "But now I guess they're not good for anything."

"Oh good," Marinette said cheerily, turning back to him. "So you won't mind if I make off with them." She held out her hand.

"Ah, that depends," Adrien said carefully, mindful of Lila still fuming mere meters away. "What do I get in return?"

Marinette grinned and pulled a small silver cylinder on a keyring out of her pocket. Holding it between her hands where Lila couldn't see, she clicked it on: a red dot shone briefly on her other palm.

Adrien stomped on the urge to pounce. She clicked the laser dot on again, and a third time, and Adrien lunged for her hand and shoved the sad bunch of marigolds into it just to make the temptation stop.

—Which put her almost close enough to kiss.

Marinette blinked up at him. Adrien blinked down at her.

"Oh, _really_?" demanded Lila. "You want to date _her_?"

Adrien started laughing. "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, Lila." He thought it over for a moment. Yeah, it'd be worth getting Lila akumatized again today, if she were that upset about it. (Probably.) "And by the way? I lied."

Marinette cracked up.

"Come on," Adrien said, getting himself under control enough to tug Marinette along towards the school. Out of Lila's earshot, he said in an undertone, "Madly clumsy, huh?"

"Oh, shut up," Marinette said, still giggling. "I can't believe I _ever_ thought you were suave."

"…I think I'm insulted."

Marinette stopped walking to lean on the wall, she was laughing so hard; she gripped tighter when Adrien tried to let go of her, and just then his heel hit a slick spot and he went down on his ass, bringing her down on top of him. She only laughed harder.

Adrien fought with himself for a moment, lost, and whispered in her ear, "Falling for me?"

She elbowed him in the chest.

When Marinette had laughed herself out, she started to get up, and paused, resting her weight on him more comfortably. "I meant it," she said quietly. "You know where to find me." And smiled, and vaulted up, and ran for the classroom.

Adrien stared after her.

When he finally got to the classroom, it almost looked like battle lines had been drawn: Marinette against everyone else. "—making _fun_ of me," Lila was saying, visibly trying not to cry.

Adrien shook his head irritably and, since Marinette was in her seat and Alya wasn't, slid onto the bench next to Marinette. He pulled out his tablet, opened his word processing app, and typed, _Hate to see you go, love to watch you leave_ , then tapped Marinette on the elbow.

She glanced at the tablet, blushed, and snatched it to add her reply: _Checking meowt?_

Adrien grinned. _Why, does it bug you?_

Marinette rolled her eyes. _You should be so lucky._

 _But I am,_ he answered. _Now I know your name._

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Dreamwidth](https://alexseanchai.dreamwidth.org/) and [Tumblr](http://alexseanchai.tumblr.com/).


End file.
